typical

[ tip-i-kuhl ]
See synonyms for typical on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of the nature of or serving as a type or representative specimen.

  2. conforming to a particular type.

  1. Biology. exemplifying most nearly the essential characteristics of a higher group in natural history, and forming the type: the typical genus of a family.

  2. characteristic or distinctive: He has the mannerisms typical of his class.

  3. pertaining to, of the nature of, or serving as a type or emblem; symbolic.

Origin of typical

1
First recorded in 1605–15; from Medieval Latin typicālis, equivalent to Late Latin typic(us) (from Greek typikós, equivalent to týp(os) type + -ikos -ic) + Latin -ālis -al1
  • Rarely typ·ic .

Other words for typical

Other words from typical

  • typ·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • typ·i·cal·ness, typ·i·cal·i·ty [tip-i-kal-i-tee], /ˌtɪp ɪˈkæl ɪ ti/, noun
  • non·typ·i·cal, adjective
  • non·typ·i·cal·ness, noun
  • qua·si-typ·i·cal, adjective
  • un·typ·i·cal, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for typical

typical

/ (ˈtɪpɪkəl) /


adjective
  1. being or serving as a representative example of a particular type; characteristic: the painting is a typical Rembrandt

  2. considered to be an example of some undesirable trait: that is typical of you!

  1. of or relating to a representative specimen or type

  2. conforming to a type

  3. biology having most of the characteristics of a particular taxonomic group: a typical species of a genus

Origin of typical

1
C17: from Medieval Latin typicālis, from Late Latin typicus figurative, from Greek tupikos, from tupos type
  • Also (poetic): typic

Derived forms of typical

  • typically, adverb
  • typicalness or typicality, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012